Dispenser



W. C. SMITH Aug. 11, 1953 DISPENSER Filed Dec. 29. 1949 Patented Aug. 111 953 DISPENSER William C. Smith, Par

Chicago Carton Company,

poration of Delaware 1: Ridge, 111., assignor to Chicago, 111., a cor-Application December 29, 1949, Serial N 0. 135,636

4 Claims.

This invention relates to dispensing cartons and, particularly, todispensing cartons for ice cream cones and similarly shaped objects.

To promote the sanitary storage of pastry cones by vendors of ice cream,it is desirable to package cones in a dispensing container from whichthe cones may be readily withdrawn one by one, as required, withoutexposing the rest of the cones in the container. In the usual containerof this type a stack of nested cones is supported, points down, in aresiliently bounded aperture, through which the lowermost cone of thestack partially extends. As the cone is forcibly withdrawn downwardlyfrom the container, the aperture expands to permit the passage of theenlarged mouth end of the cone, and contracts immediately thereafter tore-grasp the next cone thereby to resume support of the stack. Whilesuch a structure is well suited to dispensing pastry cones of theordinary type, that is, that type which has a more or less abruptlyenlarged upper end portion with a generally circular mouth lying in aplane perpendicular to the axis of the cone, the so-called sugar conepresents a special problem.

Sugar cones are approximately circular cones formed by convoluting athin sheet of enriched cake. The elements of the sugar cones are unequalin length and terminate in an irregular mouth which approximates anellipse inclined from the axis of the cone. When the cones are stacked,therefore, the distance between the mouths of adjacent cones is notuniform, and when such cones are dispensed from the ordinary type ofdispenser, the resiliently contracting boundaries of the supportingmeans of conventional dispensers will not unfailingly re-grasp thenext-to-bottom cone uniformly. The restraining force of the resultingpartial contact may not be sufiicient to retain the succeeding lowermostcone within the carton with the result that two (or even more) cones maybe dispensed instead of the desired one, thus defeating the purpose ofthe dispenser.

Accordingly, it is the principal object of the invention to provide animproved dispenser for sugar cones and similarly shaped objects, whichwill assure the individual delivery of the cones.

Other objects and advantages will appear and the invention will bebetter understood by reference to the following description and theaccompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the blank of sheet material from which myimproved dispenser is formed;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the dispenser at one point in itsformation;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the dispenser, showing the bottomthereof;

Figure 4 is a similar perspective view showin the top of the dispenser;and

Figure 5 is an elevational view of a carton incorporating the dispenser,which has been partially cut away to show the relationship of the innerparts.

In the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings,the dispenser comprises a fiat box-like structure It which is desirablyfabricated from a single blank I I of sheet material, such as isillustrated in Figure 1. Ordinary paperboard approximately .025" thickis suitable structural material. The blank is generally oblong in shapeand is creased along the dotted lines indicated in Figure 1 to define asquare panel [2 adjoined on one pair of opposite sides by a pair ofnarrow side panels 13 and I4 to each end of which a tongue I5 ishingedly attached. Another square panel IS, equal in size to theaforementionel square panel :2, is attached to the side panel [4, thispanel It being provided with a narrow glue flap ll on the side oppositeits attachment to the side panel Hi. When the blank is folded along theindicated crease lines, as shown in Figure 2, the square panels l2 andIt become respectively the top and bottom walls of a box-like structure,in which the side panel [3 and the flap I! are overlapped and adhesivelybonded together by glue indicated at l8.

Hingedly connected to each of the other opposite sides of the top panell2 is a pair of jointed flaps IS which serve as closure members foropposite ends of the box it. Each of the flaps I8 is divided by aU-shaped slit 5 9 and a pair of spaced hinges 29 into a closure panel 2|and a tucking fiapor panel 22. The two panels 2i and 22 are separated attheir outer ends by short slits 23 so that when the tucking flap isinserted into the box, the edges of the flaps 22 defined by the slits 23engage the tongues 5 to lock the closure panel in place as a side of thebox.

When the two constituent panels of the jointed flap it! areperpendicular to one another, as when the box is set up and closed, aportion 244 of the closure panel 2!, defined by the aforementionedU-shaped slit, projects below the plane of the bottom wall of the box,leaving in the tucking a slot corresponding in shape to said projectingportion. The bottom wall I6 of the box is "provided along its free sideswith similarly shaped indentations 25 which overlie. the: slots in thetucking flaps to provide slot openings 26 in the box immediatelyadjacent and parallel to the projecting portions 24 of the closurepanel. This slot and projection coact, in a manner to be laterdescribed, with similar members of the cone carton to support thebox-like structure within the carton.

The top and bottom walls l2 and 16 of the box are creased or embossedwith the outlines of squares 21 to provide in each wall a plurality ofsquare panels each having a counterpart in the other wall. The walls arecut through along the diagonals 28 of the square panels to provide aplurality of apertures, which are normally closed by triangular tabs 29resiliently hinged along the perimeters of the apertures.

In addition, the tabs in the upper wall of the box are scored on theirouter surfaces along the lines 30 intermediate their extremities andtheir hinged connections to the perimeters of said apertures. When thebox is supported in the cone carton, as shown in Figure 5, the aperturesthus formed are positioned as vertically aligned pairs.

The carton or caddy in which the illustrated embodiment of the dispenseris incorporated is an elongated rectangular box 3| preferably formed ofpaperboard, which may be closed at either end by the usual hinged flaps(not shown). Two opposite walls of the carton are cut through withinverted U-shaped slits near the bottom of the carton to provideupwardly extending tongues 32 which may be inwardly depressed so thatwhen the box-like dispenser structure H] is placed in the carton, thetongues 32 may be inserted into the slot openings 26, and theprojections 24 through said slits, to support the dispenser as a floormember within the carton.

A number of vertical partitions 33 divide the carton into a plurality oftube-like chambers 34 extending upwardly from the floor member. Each ofthe chambers houses a stack of nested cones 35 which is supported,points down, in the aligned apertures of the dispenser through which thelowermost cone of the stack partially extends. A stiff paperboardsub-floor 36 having depending flanges 31 is located immediately belowand spaced from the dispenser. Holes 38 are provided in the sub-floor inalignment with said dispensing apertures and are of such size as toengage the projecting portions of the lowermost cones of the stacksthereby relieving the resilient tabs 29 of their stack-supportingfunction while the cone carton is in transit and subject to roughhandling.

When the carton is mounted for use, the subiioor is removed and thestacks of cones are supported solely by the tabs surrounding theapertures in the dispensing floor member. Although the sugar cones arenearly identical in shape and could theoretically be stacked withcorresponding elements in vertical alignment so that the mouths ofadjacent cones would be uniformly spaced in the stack, under actualconditions the cones are stacked haphazardly with corresponding elementsrotatively displaced from one another so that the distance betweenvertically aligned elements of the mouths of the same pair of adjacentcones, as well as their respective distances from the axis of the stack,may vary considerably. Therefore, as the lowermost cone of the stack ispulled downwardly, the deflection of the resilient tabs is increased, asis the restraining force resisting withdrawal of the cone, until theupper end portion of the cone being withdrawn passes the tabs surroundinthe upper aperture, whereupon said tabs rebound individually against thesurface of the next lowermost cone. Urged downwardly by its own weight,the stack will follow the movement of the lowermost cone until thecombined restraining force exerted by the tabs is great enough to resumesupport of the stack. Depending upon the speed with which the lowermostcone is withdrawn and upon the weight of the stack and, hence, itsinertia, the restraining force of the uppermost tabs may be suihcient inone instance to completely stop the downward movement of the remainingstack, and only suflicient in another instance to initially retard orbrake that downward movement. In the latter case, the action of theupper tabs provides a time delay during which the tabs surrounding thelower aperture may release the lowermost cone and rebound into grippingengagement with the sides of the next lowermost cone to completely stopthe downward movement of the stack. In either event, the lower tabs holdthe succeeding lowermost cone securely within the carton until it ispositively withdrawn.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the tabs surrounding theupper apertures are jointed to provide a separate cone-grasping tip. Inthis manner, the gripping area of the tabs is increased, and thedeflection of the fore-shortened base portions of the tabs is decreasedso as to more evenly distribute the weight of the stack etween the upperand lower tabs.

While the apertures of the illustrated embodiment of the dispenser havebeen illustrated as formed by cutting the panels along a pair ofmutually bisecting lines to form a square aperture with four tabs, itwill be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the principlesembodied in this construction may equally well be employed in otherdispensing structures having spaced apertures of different shapesbounded by other types of resilient retaining members, without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A dispensing container for ice cream cones comprising a verticallyelongated receptacle adapted to house a stack of upright nested icecream cones which have upper end edges disposed in planes more or lessinclined to the axes of the cones with the planes of successive conesbeing disposed in more or less irregular, nonparallel relationship,whereby irregularly arranged, tapering width, upper end portions of thenested cones are exposed in the stack, and a cone-dispensing andstack-supporting structure in said receptacle adjacent the lower endthereof, said dispensing and supporting structure havingvertically-spaced upper and lower walls extending transversely of thelength of the receptacle, said walls being provided withvertically-aligned openings through which cones are downwardlywithdrawable from the receptacle, said walls having resilient tabsextending from the edges of said aligned openings toward the axisthereof, said tabs being deflectable downwardly by cones drawndownwardly through said openings, the spacing of said walls being suchas to enable tabs on both of said walls to simultaneously engage asingle cone, said tabs on the upper of said walls being operable toengage the exposed upper end portion of the cone immediately followingthe cone being withdrawn before the latter is fully withdrawn throughthe opening in the uppermost wall, thereby to resist and initiateretardation of the downward movement of the stack remaining above thecone being withdrawn, the continued withdrawal of said lowermost coneserving to efiect enlargement of the depth of the exposed portion ofsaid following cone, and tabs on the lower wall being operable to engagethe exposed portion of said following cone before withdrawal of thelowermost cone is completed, thereby to further retard the downwardmovement of the stack and, in cooperation with the tabs on said upperwall, to stop the downward movement of the stack.

2. A dispensing container for ice cream cones comprising a verticallyelongated receptacle adapted to house a stack of upright nested icecream cones, and a cone-dispensing and stacksupporting structure in saidreceptacle adjacent the lower end thereof, said dispensin and supportingstructure having vertically spaced upper and lower walls extendingtransversely of the length of said receptacle, said walls being providedwith vertically aligned openings through which cones are downwardlywithdrawable from the receptacle, said walls having resilient tabsextending from the edges of said aligned openings toward the axisthereof, said resilient tabs being deflectable downwardly by coneswithdrawn through said openings, the spacing of said walls being such asto enable tabs on both of said walls to simultaneously engage a singlecone, one or more of the tabs on said upper wall being engageable withthe cone immediately following the lowermost cone to thereby resist andinitiate retardation of the downward movement of said stack whilewithdrawal of the lowermost cone is continued against the resistance ofthe tabs on the lower wall, said tabs on the lower wall being engageablewith said following cone upon completion of the withdrawal of saidlowermost cone through said lower wall to thereby further retard and incooperation with the tabs of said upper wall to stop the downwardmovement of the stack of cones.

3. A supporting and dispensing device for a stack of ice cream coneswhich are arranged in nested, vertically stacked relationship with thetaper of the cones facing downwardly, comprising a pair of verticallyspaced walls provided with vertically aligned sets of tabs which areresiliently displaceable downwardly so as to provide r verticallyaligned tab bounded openings in said walls, the cone stack being adaptedto be seated and supported in said openings by engagement of thelowermost cone or the stack with said tabs,

said lowermost cone being withdrawable downwardly through said tabbounded openings by the application of sufiicient downward force to suchlowermost cone to cause the latter to eifect additional resilientdisplacement of said tabs to enlarge said openings so as to permitpassage of said lowermost cone completely through said openings, thespacing of said walls being such as to enable one or more of the tabs onsaid upper wall to resiliently engage the cone immediately following thelowermost cone upon passage of the latter downwardly beyond such one ormore tabs, thereby to retard the downward movement of said stack whilewithdrawal of the lowermost cone is continued, said tabs on the lowerwall being also resiliently engageable with said following cone uponcompletion of the withdrawal of said lowermost cone through said lowerwall to thereby further retard and, in cooperation with the tabs of saidupper wall, to stop the downward movement of the stack of cones.

4. A supporting and dispensingdevice for a stack of ice cream coneswhich are arranged in nested, vertically stacked relationship with thetaper of the cones facing downwardly, comprising a pair of verticallyspaced walls provided with vertically aligned sets of tabs having freeinner ends and outer ends hinged to said walls, said tabs beingresiliently displaceable downwardly so as to provide vertically alignedtab bounded openings in said walls, the cone stack being adapted to beseated and supported in said openings by engagement of the lowermostcone of the stack with said tabs, said lowermost cone being withdrawabledownwardly through said tab bounded openings by the application ofsufficient downward force to said lowermost cone to cause the latter toefiect additional resilient displacement of said tabs to enlarge saidopenings so as to permit passage of said lowermost cone completelythrough said openings, the spacing of said walls being such as to enableone or more of the tabs on said upper wall to resiliently engage thecone immediately following the lowermost cone upon passage of the latterdownwardly beyond such one or more tabs, thereby to retard the downwardmovement of said stack while withdrawal of the lowermost cone iscontinued, said tabs on the lower wall being also resiliently engageablewith said following cone upon completion of the Withdrawal of saidlowermost cone through said lower wall to thereby further retard and, incooperation with the tabs of said upper wall, to stop the downwardmovement of the stack of cones, the tabs on said upper wall beingprovided with transverse score lines permitting the free end portions ofsaid tabs to bend downwardly relative to the hinged end portions,thereby to reduce the extent of bending required of said upper wall tabsat their hinge connections to the upper wall when said upper wall tabsare displaced to cone stack supporting position, whereby the strength ofsaid upper wall tabs at their hinge connections is preserved.

WM. C. SMITH.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 695,471 Miller Mar. 18, 1902 930,890 Schlappich et a1. Aug.10, 1909 943,292 Andalaft et al Dec. 14, 1909 1,176,932 Smith Mar. 28,1916 1,353,629 Cibulka Sept. 21, 1920 2,118,321 Mimee May 24, 19382,359,337 Turek Oct. 3, 1944

